The Conversation

On the savanna, mobile phones haven't transformed Maasai lives – yet

Written by Timothy D. Baird, Assistant Professor of Geography, Virginia Tech

A group of Maasai men look at the mobile phone belonging to one of them.Timothy Baird, CC BY-ND

Mobile phones are everywhere. In fact, they may be nearly as common on the African savanna as they are on American subways.

With the explosion of mobile technology in developing countries, a common narrative is that phones are transforming poor...

From public good to personal pursuit: Historical roots of the student debt crisis

Written by Thomas Adam, Professor of Transnational History, University of Texas Arlington

Has student debt changed because the purpose of education has changed?John Collier/Library of Congress, Ermolaev Alexander/Shutterstock.com

The promise of free college education helped propel Bernie Sanders’ 2016 bid for the Democratic nomination to national prominence. It reverberated during the confirmation hearings for Betsy DeVos as...

When gospel sermons came on the phonograph

Written by Jerry Zolten, Associate Professor of Communication Arts and Sciences, Pennsylvania State University

Oak Grove Acapella Singers, a Gospel group of Chester County, Tennessee, being recorded while singing in the office of the preacher at the Oak Grove Church of Christ. Tennessee State Library and Archives Follow, CC BY-NC-ND

The first truly African-American musical form, the “Spirituals,” took shape in the 17th and 18th centuries within...

Will women vote for women in 2018? It depends on if they're married

Written by Leah Ruppanner, Senior Lecturer in Sociology, University of Melbourne

EMILY's List helps elect pro-choice Democratic women candidates to office.AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

The 2018 elections promise to be the “Year of the Woman,” with more women planning to step into local, state and federal elections than ever before.

This represents a significant change. The United States has some of the lowest female...

Want a satisfying relationship? Don't present yourself as a sex object

Written by Gary W. Lewandowski Jr., Chair and Professor of Psychology, Monmouth University

Is objectification bad – if you welcome sexualized attention?Lionsgate AMC

When Joan Holloway – the bombshell office worker on the show “Mad Men” – enters a room, she knows she looks good and is going to turn heads. Every morning, Joan meticulously does her makeup and hair and puts on a skintight dress. The men in her...

How bills to replace Obamacare would especially harm women

Written by Simon Haeder, Assistant Professor of Political Science, West Virginia University

A woman speaks up at a town hall gathering with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) in March 2017.Mark Crammer/AP

As members of Congress are heading back to their districts over Fourth of July break, the future of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), America’s health care system and millions of Americans continues to hang in the balance.

While...

Why market competition has not brought down health care costs

Written by Gerald Friedman, Professor of Economics, University of Massachusetts Amherst

Decreased regulation has failed to reduce the growing administrative burden of health care. Valeri Potapova/Shutterstock.com

It is easier than ever to buy stuff. You can purchase almost anything on Amazon with a click, and it is only slightly harder to find a place to stay in a foreign city on Airbnb.

So why can’t we pay for health care the...

Putin's flacks: Russia's stealth public relations war

Written by Sue Curry Jansen, ‌‌‌Professor of Media and Communication, Muhlenberg College

Is public relations simply a more insidious form of fake news?Nick Lehr/The Conversation via www.shutterstock.com

The Russian attempt to influence the 2016 American presidential election, using what intelligence agencies call “active measures,” has dominated U.S. headlines.

There is, however, a second front in Russia’s effort to...

America's dangerous love for pyrotechnics: 4 facts about fireworks

Written by Jay L. Zagorsky, Economist and Research Scientist, The Ohio State University

In the eyes of many Americans, the Fourth of July is a day for parades, barbecue and, of course, fireworks.

The tradition got its start at the beginning of our nation’s history after the Founding Fathers met in Philadelphia to write and sign the Declaration of Independence. A day after the Continental Congress adopted the declaration on...

Take that chocolate milk survey with a grain of salt

Written by Lauren Griffin, Director of External Research for frank, College of Journalism and Communications, University of Florida

And don't expect chocolate ice cream, either.Barney Moss, CC BY

It’s been all over the news lately: a survey by the Innovation Center for U.S. Dairy suggests that 7 percent of American adults believe chocolate milk comes from brown cows.

The takeaway of much of this reporting is that Americans are science illiterate as well as uninformed about...